EP0334934A1

EP0334934A1 - Soil auger

Info

Publication number: EP0334934A1
Application number: EP88908888A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank Paxton
Original assignee: Bulb Bopper Inc
Current assignee: Bulb Bopper Inc
Priority date: 1987-09-28
Filing date: 1988-09-22
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-22
Also published as: EP0334934B1; WO1989002971A1; EP0334934A4; DE3853580T2; DE3853580D1; US4779689A; AU2536188A; CA1305958C; ATE121163T1

Abstract

A soil auger particularly useful for removing a quantity of soil as a plug is provided, and is particularly adapted for use with a portable electric drill. The auger body is substantially cylindrical with at least one open end and provides a balanced unit for use at high rotational speeds. A series of teeth at the lower margin of the auger are alternately inwardly and outwardly displaced from the plane of the cylinder. The teeth may extend completely around the lower margin or only a portion thereof. Offset apertures in the walls of the cylinder permit removal of the soil contained therein. A shaft is mounted at the end of the auger opposite the teeth and adapted to be coupled to a hand held electric drill. In operation, the soil auger enters the ground driven by the drill which rotates the auger. The teeth of the auger create a circular hole in the ground around a plug of soil, the plug of soil entering the interior of the auger body for subsequent removal.

Description

SOIL AUGER

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

5 A soil auger of simple yet highly effec¬ tive construction, uniquely adapted for use with a portable electric drill. The soil auger has a tubular body with teeth projecting from the margin of its open end and a shaft extending from the

]_Q opposite end. The body is balanced for use at the high rotation speeds of portable electric drills. Rotation of the auger results in the penetration of the teeth into the soil, and, once the desired depth of penetration is achieved, the auger may be removed

^• _]_5 along with the soil contained therein.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is often desirable to quickly obtain a number of holes of the same diameter and depth in the ground in such tasks as gardening and fencing.

20 A variety of methods for digging such holes are com¬ monly employed, including shovels, post-hole diggers and hand-held bulb planters. Coring devices such as the combination soil auger and soil core sampler disclosed by U.S. Patent No. 4,653,335 also are

25 useful for producing holes in the ground. However, none of these devices are adapted to be used with a portable power source and thus must be manually operated, resulting in the need for increased time and effort by the user.

3_Q A power driven screw-type auger is dis¬ closed in U.S. Patent No. 3,356, 16S. However, this auger does not produce a uniform plug of soil for removal but rather distributes the soil around the edge of the hole it produces.

35 Summary of the Invention

The problems above are in large measure solved by the present invention which provides a soil auger readily adapted for household use with an electric drill to create holes in the ground for planting seeds or flower bulbs, or for digging small post holes. That is, the soil auger is lightweight, portable, and easily used to remove soil from the ground, thereby creating a hole. Broadly speaking, the soil auger includes a substantially cylindrical tubular body and a shaft adapted for insertion into a standard electrical drill. The body is provided with at least one aperture in the side for the removal of soil accumu- lated therein. At the lower margin of the body is a row of teeth to engage and penetrate the soil. The teeth are displaced alternately inboard and outboard of the plane of the body or alternately provided with additional material on the teeth to provide a cut or kerf wider than the thickness of the body.

The teeth extend around substantially the entire margin of the open end. Further, the body is enclosed at the end opposite to the open, toothed end to provide greater torsional rigidity. The side wall of the body is advantageously constructed with a pair of opposed apertures which may extend sub¬ stantially the entire length of the body, thereby permitting a plug of soil to be pushed from one of the apertures through the other aperture and out of the body.

Brief Desription of the Drawings

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the soil auger in accordance with the present invention; 1 Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the soil auger shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the soil auger shown in Fig. 1 and showing the portion there- 5 of not fully shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the soil auger as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the soil auger shown in Fig. 1 and in showing the placement of the teeth on the lower margin of the body;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspec¬ tive view of the auger shown in Fig. 1 and showing the alignment of the teeth around the lower margin ic of the body;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspec¬ tive view of an alternate embodiment of a soil auger in accordance with the present invention and having teeth extending around the entire perimeter of the 2o lower margin of the body;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the soil auger shown in use coupled to a conventional elec¬ tric drill.

₉r Description of the Preferred Embodiment

A soil auger 10, in accordance with the present invention, broadly includes cylindrical tubular body 12 which defines soil holding cavi y 14 and terminates in an open end 16 which has a margin _Q 18 from which project a plurality of teeth 20. A top, opposite end 22 of the body 12 is provided with a shaft 24 adapted for attachment to rotary drive means such as a portable electric drill.

In more detail, soil auger 10 is provided

Tc with body 12 which is of integral construction and includes at least one, and preferably two apertures

26 in the side wall 28. The body 12 is cylindrical and is provided with cavity 14 for the retention of soil after the desired penetration into the earth has been achieved. Further, the body is preferably constructed of steel to provide sufficient strength in order that the side walls 28 may be relatively thin. By keeping the thickness of the side walls less than 1/8", the body may be economically formed with the further advantage that a minimum dislodge¬ ment of soil will occur as the auger enters the ground.

Apertures 26 extend through side walls 2S along the major portion of the length between top end 22 and open end 16. The apertures 26 are directly opposed to maintain the auger 10 in dynamic balance as the auger 10 is rotated at high speed. When more than two apertures 26 are provided, they are equally spaced around the side wall 28. In the preferred embodiment, apertures 26 do not extend to lower margin 18, thereby providing a portion of side wall 28 to extend around the lower margin to provide additional rigidity.

Top end 22 mounts shaft 24 to body 12. Top end 22 is preferably enclosed to provide greater torsional rigidity between shaft 24 and body 12. Shaft 24 may be directly coupled to body 12, as by welding, and may be provided with a collar 30 for additional support. Alternatively, shaft 24 may be coupled to body 22 by an arbor or by nuts threaded on the shaft 24 above and below top end 22. Shaft 24 is preferably provided with three equally spaced flat surfaces 32 as shown in Fig. 4. The three flat surfaces 32 permit positive engagement of shaft 24 with the chuck of an electric drill. At the end opposite top end 22 of body 12 is open end 16. Open end 16 is defined by margin 13 of side wall 28 from which project a series of teeth

20. The teeth 20 are alternately angled inward and outward of the plane of side wall 28, as shown in detail in Fig. 5. Thus, the displacement of the teeth 20 is such that the cut or kerf made in the soil by the auger 10 is slightly wider than the thickness of the body 12. Alternately, the teeth 20 may be provided with additional material so that each tooth 20 is wider than the thickness of the side walls 28, or a lug or protuberance placed on a side of the tooth 20. The teeth are continuously serrated along margin 18 so that there is no loca- tion along the lower margin 18 which is not toothed. Each tooth 20 preferably extends no more than one half inch beyond the margin 18 and the space between teeth points 34 is preferably no great than 1/2". thus preventing binding of the auger when the auger 10 is coupled to a low- torque motor as is commonly found in household electric drills.

Body 10 may be provided with a pair of opposed notches such as 36 extending into margin 18 as shown in detail in Fig. 6. The notches 36 assist in preventing the clogging of cavity 14 by heavy soils .

Alternatively, teeth 20 may extend around substantially the entire perimeter of margin 18 as shown in Fig. 7. This construction provides an additional number of teeth 20 which may increase the rate of soil penetration. To reduce clogging by heavy soils when the teeth 20 are arranged as in Fig. 7, apertures 26 may be extended to a location more proximate to the margin 18. In operation, the soil auger 10 is coupled to the chuck 38 of electric drill 40. After the drill 40 is energized, the auger 10 is inserted vertically into the ground 42 to the desired level of penetration. Upon removal of the auger, a quan¬ tity of soil is retained in cavity 14. The soil may be removed through apertures 26 as loose soil or as a plug by pushing through apertures 26 in a downward direction on the plug and forcing it out open end 16. Thus, a series of holes may be easily driven.

Claims

1. A soil auger comprising: a cylindrical tubular body having a side wall and at least one open end; a margin of the body defining the open end; a plurality of teeth projecting from the margin and disposed to provide a cut of greater width than the thickness of said 10 side wall; an aperture in the side wall of said body; a shaft aligned with the axis of said body and attached to the end of the body opposite the open end, said shaft being adaptable

^•_ - for attachment to a portable electric drill.

2. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said teeth are displaced inwardly and out-

9_Q wardly with respect to the plane of said side wall of said body.

3. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said teeth project from subs antially the

25 entire margin of said open end.

4. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said body is enclosed at the end opposite said open end.

30

5. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said aperture does not extend to said margin.

35

6. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 5 wherein said side wall is provided with a pair of opposed apertures.

7. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 6, wherein said opposed apertures extend substantially the length of said side wall and are of eαual area.

8. A soil auger as set forth in Claim 1 wherein^' a pair of opposed notches is provided in the side wall of the body, said notches extending to the margin surrounding the open end.